Emergency shut-off valve for tanks.



A. DAVIS, JR, & A. L. BETTS.

EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF VALVE FOR TANKSI APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, I917- Patented NOV. 5, 1918..

INVENTORS Fig. 2-is a view in vertical section, with interior portions in elevation, of the valve unit at the bottom, the pipe-fitting portion of the valve body being straight instead of curved.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The tank, shell 1 has openings 2 and 3 in its bottom and top, the openings being flanged outward and the lower one being larger than the upper; In these openings collars 4 and 5, formed with internal pipe threads, are welded, so as to be in effect integrally united with the tank. The upper collar 5 receives a stuffing-box 5*- with gland, and the lower collar 4 a valve, comprising a cylindrical body 6 having an externa ly threaded portion 7 to screw into the collar. The valve cage part of this body which extends upward into the interior of the tank is provided with lateral openings 7 for free inlet of the oil; and below the collar the valve body is extended downward to constitute a fitting "8 or 8, having an internal screw-thread -9 whichreceives the pipe 10 leading to the faucet. The fitting may be either elbow or straight, as illustrated, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2. A hexagon enlargement 11 on the lower part of the body facilitates insertion and removal of the valve. h

A beveled valve seat 12 is formed on an annular ledge in the interior of the cage at the base of the'openings 7 and with this seat cooperates a horizontal valve disk 13,

' the lower marginal seating portion 14: of

which is referably formed on a curve.

The va ve cage has a top 15 secured therein and provided with an upward tubular extension 16, constituting a spring barrel having a reduced bearing opening 17 at the top. In this, and in another bearing opening 18 at the bottom of the barrel, a short rod section or valve stem 119 is slidably guided, being constantly acted upon by a helical spring 20 confined between a shoulder 21 on the rod and the'top of the barrel and thereby tending to depress and close the valve.

It will thus be seen thatthe bearings for the valve stem are close t the valve seat and are united'rigidly therewith; and for reasons which will presently appear the operation of the stem in these bearings is quite unaffected by alinement conditions above. Still further to insure a perfect seating of the valve, the valve stem may be articulated below its bearings, a stub 22 being formed upon the top of the valve disk to enter a socket 23 in the lower end of the niain body of the stem. The socket is made slightly large for the stub, which is held therein by a cross-pin 24 fixed to the socket and loosely engaged by a hole 25 in the stub. In this Way a limited amount of side play is permitted to the valve member, enabling it to find its seat with accuracy and at the same time thepin 24 is not subjected to strain, by reason of the fact that in the downward movement the conical top of the socket cavity bears upon the rounded head 26 of the stub before the pin can touch the bottom of the cross-opening in the stub.

The operating cam lever 27 at the top of the tank has its bifurcated cam portion 28 pivoted at 29 to the upper portion 30 of a rod 31, the main cylindrical ortion of which passes through the stufiingx 5 into the interior of the tank. The said upper portion 30 is formed with an oblong crosssection, being preferably made of a separate piece welded onto the body of the rod. A fulcrum bracket 32 rising from the top of the shell has a similar opening through which the Hat stem 30 passes, and as clearly seen in Fig. 3 the greater dimension of the oblong cross-section lies in the plane f the handle, whereby the advantages heretofore referred to are obtained.

The lower end of the rod 31 is screwthreaded as shown to cooperate with a turnbuckle stirrup 32, which is engaged by the upper hooked end 33 of a, connecting rod 34. A similar hook 35 on the lower end of this rod is passed through an eye 36 secured upon the upper end of the valve stem 19. Thus an articulated connection is provided between the valve stem guided in its bearings in the valve body and the rod 31 connected with the cam lever and guided in its independent bearings in the stufiingbox 5 and fulcrum bracket 32. This connection, with its universal joints at two places, always operates in tension, being pulled up at the top by the lever 27 to open the valve and pulled down at the bottom by the spring 20 to close the valve. A laterally projecting pin 37 inserted into the upper portion of the connecting rod between the limbs of the turn-buckle serves to prevent relative turning of these parts after the proper adjustment has been made in the assembling of the mechanism.

What we claim as new is:

1. The combination with a. tank having a bottom outlet opening and a delivery pipe leading therefrom, of an emergency shutoff valve unit at the bottom of the tank comprising a valve body screwed upward into the outlet opening and removable downward therefrom and containing a valve seat and a bearing, a vertically movable valve member in the body guided by said bearing and cooperative with said seat. control means, and connections between the same and the valve, said connections extending upward in the tank from the valve member and including means of disconnection.

2. The combination with a tank having a Lana-nee leading therefrom, of an emergency shutoff valve unit at the bottom of the tank comprising a valve body screwed upward into the outlet opening and removable downward therefrom and containing a valve seat and a bearing, a vertically movable valve member in the body guided by Said bearing and cooperative with said seat, a spring for closing the valve member also contained in the valve unit, control means adapted normally and securely to hold said valve, member open, and connections extending upward in the tank from the valve member and connecting with said control means.

4. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, of an emergency shut-off valve unit at the bottom of the tank comprising a valve body screwed upward into said outlet opening and removable downward therefrom and containing a valve seat and a bearing, and a vertically-movable valvemember in said body guided by the bearing thereof and cooperative with the valve seat, valve-controlling means, vertically extending doubly universally jointed connections between the valve and the valve controlling means, and a spring for closing the valve includedin the valve unit and acting below said universally jointed connections.

5. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, of an emergency shut-off valve unit at the bottom of the tank inserted in said opening and comprising a valve body having a valve seat and a bearing, and a spring-closed valve member in the valve body guided by said bearing, valvecontrolling means, a rod at the top of the tank connected with said valve-controlling means, a bearing for said rod, and a connecting rod in the tank between said top rod and the valve and having universal connections with both.

6. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, and an internally screw-threaded collar united to the tank at said opening, of an emergency shut-off valve unit. at the bottom of the tank comprising a body screwed upward into said collar and removable downward therefrom and having a valve seat and a bearing, a vertically movable spring-closed valve member in the body guided by said bearing, valve-controlling means, and a connecting rod having universal connections with .the valve-controlling means and valve member.

7.--'The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, and a collar united to the tank at said opening, of an emergency shut-off valve member at the bottom of the tank comprising a valve body inserted upward into said collar and removable down ward therefrom and having a valve seat and a bearing,a vertically movable spring-closed .valve member in the body guided by said bearing, a stuffing box ontop of the tank, a rod passing through said stufling box, and a connecting rod universally jointed to the lever rod and valve member.

8. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, and a collar united to the tank at said opening, of an emergency shut-ofi' valve unit at the bottom of the tank comprising a valve body screwed upward into said collar and removable downward therefrom and containing a valve seat and a bearing, a valve stem guided in said bearing, a springclosed valve member in the body cooperative with the seat thereof andnniversally jointed to the valve stem, valve controlling means, and a connecting rod univer- 9 sally jointed both to the valve-controlling means and to thevalve stem.

9. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, of a valve unit inserted upward in said opening and removable downward therefrom and comprising a valve body containing a valve seat and a bearing, and a vertically movable springclosed valve member guided by said bearing and cooperative with said seat, valve-controlling means, and detachable flexible connections extending vertically between the valve and valve-controlling means.

10. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet opening, and a collar united to the tank at said opening, of a valve unit at the bottom of the tank comprising a hollow body inserted upward into said collar and. removable downward therefrom, said valve body comprising a cage in the interior of the tank having inlets, a valve seat below the inlets, and a top provided with a tubular extension, a valve member in the cage, a valve stem guided in the top and passing through said tubular extension, and a valveclosing spring in the tubular extension around the valve stem, quick-acting valvecontrolling means, and universally jointed connections between the valve-controlling means and the valve stem.

1]. The combination with a tank having a bottom outlet, of a spring-closed valve member guarding said outlet, a cam lever on top of the tank, a fulcrum bracket, and means for connecting the lever and valve including a rod connected to the lever and passing through the fulcrum bracket, the portion of said rod Which passes through the bracket and the opening accommodating the same being of oblong cross-section, With the greater dimension lying substantially in the plane of operation of the lever.

12. The combination With a tank having a bottom outlet opening, of a valve body in serted in said opening and containing a.

valve seat and bearing, a valve member in the body guided by said bearing, a cam lever at the top of the tank, a vertically guided lever rod, and a connecting rod having hook and eye connections with said rod and valve member, one of said connections including a turn-buckle.

13. In a shut-off valve, a valve element movable toward and from its seat and having a valve stem and a bearing therefor, the valve stem having a socketed articulation below the bearing permitting limited lateral play to the valve element and including a cross-pin loosely uniting the members of the articulation together, the members being further provided With thrust surfaces adapted to contact and protect the pin from strain upon closing of the valve.

AUGUSTINE DAVIS, JR. ARTHUR L. BET TS. 

